She’s Here!

Baby Bean or Charlotte as we are going to call her arrived on April 5 and your world hasn’t been the same since. You met your sister a few hours after she was born in the hospital and the encounter couldn’t have gone better. You stopped in the gift shop to buy Charlotte a balloon and told the lady behind the counter that “Baby Charlotte was in Mama’s tummy and now she came out.” You were beyond excited to meet her. The first thing you said when you entered the room was, “Mama I missed you” and then “where’s Baby Charlotte?” When we showed her to you she was fast asleep and you got to hold her in your lap. “Oh she’s so cute” was what you exclaimed and then “you can pet her.”

The next day we picked you up from Nana and Poppi’s and all you cared about was confirming that we were taking Charlotte home with us. “Baby Charlotte is coming to our new house right Mama?” You were interested in holding her and exploring her, but not in an intense way. You liked the idea of your sister but priorities still were held in being your two and a half year old self- baseball, monsters, playing outside and cinnamon toast.

Over the course of the next day you handled yourself remarkably well seeming to understand that I was occupied with feedings and changings and you didn’t mind that my hands were full holding Charlotte. When visitors would come you were thrilled to introduce them to your baby sister and would let them know that it was okay to “pet her. ”

Then day three or four we started noticing you acting out- testing boundaries and being negative. You poor thing. You were a mess. Hitting and crying and tantruming all day long. You completely rejected my assistance of any kind and I could tell you were feeling very insecure and out of control. All behavior we were expecting and prepared for, but still hard to watch.

While I am recovering I miss our cuddles in the morning and our talks in the car. I miss our routine of classes and activities and afternoons at the park. I miss bedtime stories and songs and you telling me you love me. I know you miss all of that too. Things will calm down and we will settle into a new routine and you will adjust. I promise!

Your sister is going to love you so much. How could she not? You are the best!